In BeLIEve, there is 'Lie'
by darkwater-reflection
Summary: Naruto does something completely stupid which totally destroys Hinata's trust in him. Meanwhile, Neji's hating the fact that once again the 'main' surpasses the branch. ShikaHinaNaru triangle...Sequel to 'Sorrow'
1. Chapter 1

**In 'Believe' There is 'Lie'**

A/N: Well, here it is. The sequel to 'Sorrow'. The first few chapters won't be so exciting, but I think it'll get better later on.

Too be honest, I already had the whole storyline planned put. _That's_ why I was so fast in putting this up.

**Prologue:**

It's gone.

My mask is gone, and I can no longer bring it back. I don't know why I chose to remove it, but I did. And now, I feel naked. Unprotected. Vulnerable.

_Yeah, _I thought, turning away from the mirror, _I can get really dramatic sometimes._

I plopped onto my bed. Ever since I had taken off my mask, things haven't exactly been...relaxing? Easy? I don't know. Let's just say my life turned into a hellish nightmare. One I can't escape from.

_You did this to yourself, Uzumaki. _I thought, staring blankly at the ceiling. _So you've no one to blame but yourself. _

I closed my eyes as the room slowly sank into the darkness. It was new moon, and there were no stars at all.

_So much like that night..._

I allowed myself to remember the memories I've been trying so hard to erase. Forget. That night...in the cave...I had lost something precious that night.

My best friend.

I sighed as the thoughts poured into my mind. We had taken separate paths, but somehow our paths crossed over that night.

And we completely destroyed our friendship. We could never go back...

...yet I really didn't care.

_Why am I always the target, _I thought bitterly. _Does it come with the curse? The curse of being a jinchuuriki? _

_Hinata-chan..._

Her smiling face appeared in my mind, and my eyes snapped open, causing the image to vanish.

_Stop it. _I told myself firmly. _I don't deserve to think about her. _I sighed. _Not after I caused her so much pain._

**Chapter 1: Confusion**

Hinata stood with her hands clapped over her mouth as she watched Neji struggle to get to his feet.

"N-N-Neji-nii-san," she said, her voice muffled by her hands. "I-I didn't mean to! I-I j-just…"

Her father gave two short claps. "Well done, Hinata." He said. "Why don't you take a break while Neji gets his strength back? We'll resume training later tonight."

"Mm." She nodded. She cast one last worried glance at Neji before running off.

"She's gotten stronger, hasn't she?" he said in a conversational tone. "I'm really amazed."

"Hai!" Hanabi nodded in agreement. "I like her new technique! I've never seen one like it."

Neji listened to their conversation bitterly. Ever since word got out that Hinata had fought against Uchiha Sasuke, the 'elders' of the Hyuga clan had nothing but praise for her. They would always say how she was finally living up to the 'main house'. And it annoyed him. A lot.

He had tried hard, but she kept beating him in all their training matches. And it was a lot worse when the clan members would gather just to see it.

_Once again, _he thought bitterly, _the main surpasses the branch. _

* * *

Gaara looked at the majestic marble grave in front of him. His gaze wandered over its surface, finally resting on the plaque near the bottom.

_Otosama, _he thought, clenching his fist. _I hate you. I hate you, and I feel no guilt for having been the one who killed you. The one who washed away your mark in the Sand Village._

He had come here only to tell his father this. He was done. He looked down at the bouquet of flowers in his hand. He gave a short laugh. _These aren't for you. _He thought, turning his back. _You bring flowers to your dead loved ones. And you are not a loved one. You never were._

He walked away from the grave. The sun was starting to rise, which meant that he had a few more hours to spend with her before he went off to train. He stopped in front of yet another marble grave. His teal eyes showed no emotion whatsoever, but that didn't mean he didn't feel any.

"Temari," he murmured softly, laying down the flowers on the base of her grave. "Before they buried you, I promised to visit you everyday, right? I kept my promise."

He touched the grave tenderly. He had so many things to tell her, he didn't know where to start.

"I managed to avenge you," he said, "I killed Otosama, you know. I was really angry at him for taking you away from me. But, I also promised I wouldn't kill anyone anymore. And I intend to keep that promise."

His teal eyes lit up, and a smile crossed his face. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. They're thinking of making me the next Kazekage! Isn't that absurd? I mean, I'm barely the right age." The smile died down. "And besides," he said, his tone a little softer. "I don't think I want to take the position of my father. I don't want anything to do with him anymore."

Silence passed. Gaara knew he was crazy, talking to a dead person like she could hear him. But that didn't bother him so much. "I can sleep already." He said, closing his eyes. "But only for a few hours. At least it means I'm beginning to control it better."

He laced his arms behind his head and lay down. The sun beat down on his face. He only had a couple of hours left, but that was enough for him.

* * *

Shikamaru flopped onto the grass, exhausted. He had started training before the sun rose up, and now he was beat.

_For some guy who's supposedly lazy, I sure have a knack for waking up before the sun. _He thought, blowing a couple of stray bangs off his face. The wind picked up, causing the grass around him to sway gently. He sighed, closing his eyes somewhat contentedly.

The sounds of breaking wood brought him out of his stupor. He sat up, noting that the sounds came from within the trees behind him. He stood up gathered his _kunai, _wondering who were making those sounds. He wandered into the trees, listening as the sounds grew louder. They were soon accompanied by soft, low groans.

Finally, he reached a clearing. He was shocked to see Hinata slamming her open palms against one of the tree trunks. Her attacks were powerful enough to send bits of bark and wood flying through the air. He noted the emotions mingling in her eyes, and he wondered what could possibly make her feel all those painful emotions.

Her arms started to slow down, and she stopped. She let lose a low moan and slid to the ground, hugging her knees close to her body.

Shikamaru bit his lip. She looked so forlorn. He couldn't just leave her there. Slowly, he gathered the courage and walked up to her.

"Hey," he said softly, "what's wrong?"

She gave a startled gasp and hurriedly looked up. She realized who it was, and she seemed to grow tense. "Shikamaru-kun, what are you doing here?"

Shikamaru arched an eyebrow. "No need to act all tense," he said, sitting down as well. "I just happened to be training and heard your assault on the tree."

Hinata gave a small laugh, and the sound somewhat lifted his spirits.

"You haven't answered _my _question yet." Shikamaru said. "What's wrong?"

Hinata sighed. "I'd rather not say. Something happened a couple of weeks back, and I'm still trying to cope with it, that's all."

"It's something about Naruto, isn't it?"

Hinata's silver eyes grew wide. "How did you…what makes you say that?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Well, Naruto also seems a little down. I confronted him about it yesterday, and he said he too was 'trying to cope with something'. I just put two and two together. But may I deduce from your reaction that I hit the mark?"

Hinata sighed. "Yes, you're right. I don't know why it happened, but we just sort of went separate paths after that night. Apparently, he decided not to get too close to people anymore." She looked away. It really had hurt her, when he told her…

"_It isn't-and it never will be-love."_

She moaned softly again, forgetting that Shikamaru was right next to her. Those words had torn her life apart. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her cheek. She whipped around and found herself staring into his deep, coal black eyes.

"I wish I could do something," he said tenderly. "Something to make you feel better."

He really wished that with all his heart. For years, he had felt something for her, but he never paid much attention to it, knowing that she could never be his. Knowing that her feelings belonged to another. But right now, those feelings were bursting out, and he couldn't control them.

She shook her head. "Please, don't waste your time on me. I-I didn't mean to bother you."

"You're not." He answered. "Please believe me."

A small smile lit her face, and he felt his heart soar.

"Thank you," she said softly. "Thank you so much."

Naruto turned away, wondering why his chest hurt so much. He told himself to leave this place, to leave them alone. He walked away, each step feeling heavier then the last.

The same image flashed in his mind again and again. Hinata looked so happy with him, and he, in turn looked as if he felt the same way.

_Why is it bothering me? _He thought, breaking free of the forest. Why _was _it bothering him? He was the one who had pushed her away. He was the one who single-handedly destroyed her fragile heart.

_She deserves happiness. _He told himself firmly. _And I shouldn't destroy it. I shouldn't hurt her…again._

* * *

Hinata watched the sun set in the usual place. The place Naruto had taken her to, the place he had broken her heart…

She sighed. This place held a lot of memories.

"Hey."

She whirled around. Naruto was standing behind her, smiling slightly. "I know you don't feel comfortable around me, but could you bear my company for just a few minutes? I'd like to see the sunset as well."

She just nodded, then turned back to the brilliant mix of colors on the horizon. Naruto sat down, just a few feet away from her. He bit his lip.

_I shouldn't say it, _he told himself. _I shouldn't…_

"I…uh, guess you hate me now, huh?"

Hinata simply shook her head, not looking at him. Her indifference hurt him, and he felt the painful feeling rise up in his chest.

"I noticed you with Shikamaru this morning." He said softly. This time, she turned to look at him, her silver eyes narrowed.

"I…I just wanted to warn you, Hinata, that's all. As a friend, I don't want to see you get hurt."

"What do you mean 'hurt'?"

He looked away. "Don't grow close to him. You can't trust him."

"Yes I can!" Hinata said, voice growing louder. "I know I can. Talking to him made me know more about him!"

"Hinata, he controls the darkness!" Naruto said, turning to face her. "Do you really think it's possible to champion the darkness without the darkness creeping in?"

"He's made it this far, hasn't he?" she said, standing up. "I haven't seen any 'dark behavior' coming from him!"

"Then you don't know him!" Naruto shot back, getting up as well. "I'm willing to bet you don't know about the ninjas he-" He stopped short, then turned away. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. Just stay away."

"He what?" Hinata asked, curiosity aroused. "The ninjas he…what?"

Naruto turned back. "He killed."

"Wh-what?" Hinata's hands flew to her mouth, hardly daring to believe it.

"Ino told me all about it. Whenever they'd go on missions, he'd always kill the people that stood in their way."

"No…" Hinata murmured, pale eyes wide. "No…" She bit her lip, then turned and ran away.

Naruto watched her go, then he threw himself on the ground.

_Why? _He thought, clenching his fists. _Why do I enjoy making her suffer? Why do I always have to do destroy her happiness?_

The sun finally set, casting the world around him in dark shadows. He gripped onto the grass around him.

"Why…did I…lie?"

A/N: (sniff, sniff) I have a cold. It's this rainy weather, darn it. And, added to that the fact that I've been running around this week thanks to school and school newspaper meetings, no wonder I burned out.

On to chapter 2!

Post Script: This won't be as long as 'Sorrow-filled Eyes'. Just thought I ought to tell you.

And don't worry, ShikaHina haters, there'll be plenty of NaruHina stuff too. Jez be patient and R&R. It keeps me smiling! (yeah, right.)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yeah, I know. Way to go, Naruto. But don't you think that could mean he was **jealous? **And being jealous means that he still **feels something for her?**

kichou-you **really **think he's gonna be happy that the main surpasses the branch? You know he's got issues!

death-angel-hikari-thanks for the compliments! they really pick me up!

houjun ri-Why don't you like Naruto? he rox!

proud bishonen whore-he is NOT a bastard! sniff

ToraHoshiWarai-he is NOT a sadist! sniff

nameinator-thanks! I tried to be original with the title...

Chapter 2: Deception

Hinata watched the sunrise from her slightly cracked window. Ever since she had found out what Shikamaru…did, she had no idea what to do anymore. She had decided to take it out on the windows in her bedroom. Not the most practical of plans.

She sighed, hugging her soft, downy pillow closer to her chest. She suddenly wished she had never heard it at all. If she wasn't so darn curious, she could have avoided this.

_I have to go talk to him. _She thought, swinging her legs over the bed. _I can't keep hanging around him pretending nothing's wrong._

She swung the door open…

…and came face-to-face with a demon pig.

Actually, it was just Shikamaru pulling up his nostrils and his eyelids.

She screamed and fell back.

"Sh-sh-shikamaru-kun!" she stuttered, turning a delicate shade of tomato-red. "Wh-what…what…"

She stopped and smiled as he collapsed on the doorframe, laughing. "Sorry, sorry. I shouldn't be laughing and I shouldn't have done that, but…" he let lose another guffaw of laughter before helping her up.

"What are you doing here?" she asked shyly. She almost forgot that she had been on her way to see him.

"I always wake up early," he said, shrugging. "So, I thought I'd come and show you a special place. It's best to see it when the sun is rising or when it's setting."

"I…don't know…what to say." She said softly.

"Could you say 'yes'?" he asked hopefully. She looked into his deep black eyes, and she nearly lost herself.

_I guess it wouldn't hurt. _She thought, biting her lip. _I suppose I could confront him about it later._

"Alright!" she said happily, taking hold of his hand. "Lead the way."

* * *

Naruto watched glumly as the sun rose from his 'haven'. The place he had built his relationship with Hinata, and the same place where he had destroyed it as well.

_Why the HECK am I so dramatic? _He thought, pitching a stone over the edge of the cliff. _I'm making my life sound like some Greek tragedy. _

Suddenly, he jerked up as he heard voices. It sounded like two people approaching.

_I thought only Hinata and I knew about this place. _He thought, brow furrowed. _So who could those possibly be?_

A few seconds later, Shikamaru stepped through the thick bushes and into the grass, followed by a very shocked Hinata.

"Hinata?" Shikamaru looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Naruto could feel himself burning. What was this thing he was feeling whenever he saw the two of them together? And why did it make him act crazier than usual?

"I thought you promised not to tell anyone about this place." Naruto said coolly, stepping forward.

"I didn't!" Hinata said, shaking her head. "He just…I just…we were…"

"She didn't tell me anything." Shikamaru said defensively. "I found this place out on my own. Jeez, protective much?"

"Well, what did you expect me to think when I saw both of you walking in here together?"

"There's no need to shout!"

"Who's shouting?"

"You are!"

"So are you!"

"I'm shouting so I can be heard over your shouting!"

"And I-" Naruto stopped, then turned his back. "Oh, forget it. I'm leaving."

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata murmured, watching him stomp away. She sighed. Next to her, Shikamaru sighed as well.

"Sorry." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I sorta let my anger get the best of me. Maybe I should go apologize to him."

"Wait!" she said, grabbing hold of his arm. She immediately regretted it, though. She wasn't prepared to ask him about it.

"What?" Shikamaru asked, looking at her strangely. "What's wrong?"

She bit her lip. _Might as well just spit it out. _"Well…" her silver gaze rested on him. "I need you to be honest, okay?"

"Aren't I always?" he joked, and immediately wished he hadn't. The look on Hinata's face told him it was serious. "Sorry. Go ahead."

"This…is a bit…delicate. You see…N-Naruto told m-me something yesterday, and…and well…he told me something about you. Is it…t-true…are you really…killing other ninjas?"

Silence.

"You're joking, right?" Shikamaru said, grinning slightly. "That's absurd. Not to mention crazy. What made Naruto say that?"

She looked at him. "So…it's not true?"

"Nope." He said, shaking his head, his brow furrowed. "You're really serious. Naruto really said that?"

At her nod, he let loose a low growl, and a mutter of "That jerk."

"I…can't believe he'd do that." she said softly, her purple locks swinging forward, hiding her face.

"I think I'd better talk to him…"

"No." she said firmly. "I will. He had no reason to do that!"

She stood up and stomped away. Shikamaru watched her leave. He did not want to be in Naruto's shoes right now. She really looked angry.

* * *

Naruto jumped as he heard an angry shriek of "You liar!"

_I think she found out…_ he thought, wincing. He turned around slowly, trying to look innocently puzzled.

"What are you-?"

"Don't play innocent!" she yelled, marching right up to him. "You lying, inconsiderate, insensitive, stupid-!"

"Whoa!" Naruto held up a hand. "I understand you're angry but-"

"Oh, I'm not angry!" she said, her pale, silver eyes growing wide. "I'm furious! You lied to me, deceived me, and backstabbed your best friend! Why would you do that?"

"I…I…it's hard to explain, okay?" he said, throwing his arms up in frustration.

"What, you were jealous?" Hinata asked, raising her arms as well.

"So what if I was?" Naruto asked, realizing all too late that he was digging himself into a hole.

"Then you're really confusing me." Hinata said, a little softer. "You said long ago that you didn't feel anything for me, so why would you feel jealous? Or are you trying to tell me that you actually lied that day?"

"NO! That's not it! I just…you see…it's all a…"

As he struggled to find the correct words, Hinata sighed and turned away. "I'm suddenly glad I have nothing anymore to do with you. So many lies…so much deception…"

"Hinata." Naruto said tenderly.

"No." she said firmly. "I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore. Because it's too painful. And I'm not strong enough."

She walked away, and Naruto could do nothing else but let her.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed and stood up. Hinata hadn't come back from her 'talk with Naruto' yet, and he didn't feel like waiting for her all day. He'd try to find her later.

"Damn that Naruto," he muttered under his breath. Why the heck would he go and lie about him? It didn't make any sense at all. He and Naruto had been really good friends since way back, so why the _heck _would he say something like that to Hinata?

Unless…

_Jealousy can make people do stupid things, right? _He thought, brows furrowed. _Stupid things like backstabbing or lying about someone._

_And maybe he saw Hinata and me getting closer, so…_

He shook his head.

That stupid bastard.

* * *

Hinata slammed her palm against the small, cylindrical piece of wood. It sat there innocently, taking in her attacks.

_Damn it! _She thought, venting out all her frustration and anger. _Why does he have to keep acting like that?_

_Why does he have to keep deceiving me? Confusing me?_

"Dammit, Naruto-kun!" she screamed aloud, her hand finally causing the wood to split into two. She hated him so much right now. He was like pain itself. Somehow, you couldn't see him, but you could feel the mark he left behind.

_Oh great, _she thought bitterly, sitting down, exhausted. _Now I'm doing stupid metaphors._

* * *

Naruto slammed the door to his room shut. So many emotions were fighting for center stage again, he was just sick of it all.

_Dammit, Hinata-chan! _He thought angrily, flopping onto his bed. _Why can't you understand me? Do you think it's enough to just act like you love me?_

_I don't care if you don't really love me, _he thought sadly. _I just need to know that you understand me. I need to know that there's someone out there who can understand the pain I feel. The pain that pushes me to do things I can't even understand myself!_

He stopped his own train of thoughts. "Darn it." He growled. "I really need to stop thinking like a cheesy drama actor."

A/N: Could you tell I was angry when I wrote this? And tired? No?

Good.

Sorry if it was so short. It's our exams week, see, and I just sort of ran out of ideas. Don't worry though; I'll make it up to you guys in the next chapter.

Review please! Thank you!

Okay, I'm off to study my stupid notes for our stupid exam in Filipino. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud to be a Filipina, but you can imagine how hard it is for me to understand our native language since I'm a PUREBRED ENGLISH SPEAKER! Dammit!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry to all those who reviewed. I was just overreacting. I don't mind your opinions about Naruto-kun. Just don't be so harsh.

You know who you are. I can't say your names coz apparently it's **illegal (?) **to reply to reviews in the author's note. (death-angel-hikari told me so…thanks for the review!)

I'm blabbering nonsense again...

Oh, and all ShikaHina non-supporters, sorry! This chapter will be focused on them. And to those who hate fluffy stuff, skip this chapter.

Joking. It's not **that **bad. Please read it.

Chapter 3: Comfort in Darkness

Hinata dipped her hand into the river, causing ripples to branch out. The ripples disrupted her reflection in the water.

Just like Naruto disrupted her life.

_Don't think about that, _she told herself, shaking her head. She didn't want to remember anything about that bastard. She didn't hate him. She completely loathed him. She was sorry she had been stupid enough to have had feelings for him.

Suddenly, she brought her train of thoughts to an abrupt stop.

_What's happened to me? _Her eyes widened as she stared at her reflection. _Why am I like this? Before, I would have forgiven him by now._

_Because I've changed. _She realized sadly. _My heart has hardened, and I'm not as 'soft' as I was before._

"Dammit!" she yelled, hitting the water with her open palm. A lot of good that did. She was drenched, and the anger she felt inside wasn't vented out in the least bit.

"Whoa. I don't think that was such a good idea."

She knew that voice. She turned around and smiled at the lazy, dark-haired nin who was walking towards her.

"Shikamaru-kun..." she said softly.

"You didn't come back yesterday, so I figured something intense happened between you and Naruto. I decided you might need some space."

"Thanks." She smiled as he sat down next to her. He grinned back.

"So, I just wanted to know-not that I'm trying to pry, mind you-what happened between you and Naruto yesterday? I talked to Sakura just this morning, and she said that Naruto didn't even show up in the Ramen shop for a get-together. That's pretty major."

She giggled at his joke, then turned serious. "I…guess I kind of lost it. I said a lot of things I…I…"

"Didn't mean to say?"

"No." she said, and Shikamaru was surprised at the firmness and anger in her voice. "I meant every, single thing I said about him. I hate him. Hate him!"

"Hinata-chan…"

"I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for that insensitive, inconsiderate, stupid liar!" she said, her voice climbing to a higher, hysterical note.

"Hinata-chan!" Shikamaru said, louder this time. This was the first time he saw her this…angry. She seemed like a completely different person. "I know you're upset over Naruto, but-"

"Don't ever say his name again." She said. "I no longer want anything to with him!"

"Hinata-chan, calm down!" Shikamaru said, grabbing hold of her shoulders. "You're not thinking clearly…"he stopped when he saw the tears streaming down her face.

"I…I'm sorry." She managed to choke out. "It's stupid…to cry…over…something…like this…it just…hurts…so much."

Shikamaru couldn't take it anymore. All those years, he had kept his feelings inside him. After all, a ninja is not supposed to show emotion in any situation. But now, they were breaking free, and he couldn't stop them. Didn't **want **to stop them. He wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her frail figure. He felt her stiffen slightly, and a small gasp escaped her lips.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, intertwining his fingers in her purple locks. "I know this is a bit too forward, but…" he tightened his arms around her. "I…I've been keeping it in so long. All those years, I knew you had feelings for him and him only. I didn't want to do anything that would destroy your happiness. But I…I…"

Hinata's eyes widened as she heard the next few words that were whispered in her ear. Then, something inside her relaxed. Told her it would be all right.

It was strange. She had never thought he even noticed her, but now…she knew. He more than noticed her. He felt something for her. And maybe…just maybe…she could respond. He was kind enough, and considerate enough, to put her feelings before his. And he had waited patiently for so long. Even if he knew it would probably be in vain, he had still waited for her.

Finally, he broke away. He looked away from her, apparently embarrassed. His face was shadowed, and he looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable." He said. "I…couldn't help it."

She nipped her bottom lip, then placed her hand tenderly on his shoulder. He whipped around.

"It's okay." She said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I never realized that you felt something for me. And…thank you. You've waited for me for so long. I really admire that."

His face seemed to brighten, and she could swear his eyes shone with happiness.

She leaned against his shoulder, watching the sun set on the horizon. It was like before, except she had first seen it with…_him. _Now, it was someone different.

Completely different.

"Shikamaru-kun," she said softly. "how could you stand it? I mean, even I couldn't keep my feelings in that long. And…I would have given up long ago, realizing it was hopeless. Yet, you managed to wait that long."

Shikamaru was silent for a long time. She knew he was thinking things over. Finally, he turned to her.

"I guess you could say it was all because of you."

He looked amusedly at her puzzled expression.

"I guess, in a way, you were my strength. The time I battled in the chuunin exams, then in the main matches, what kept me going was the thought that you were in the stadiums, watching me. And I didn't want to lose in front of someone I admired. Just like you didn't want to either." He said gently.

"Part of me knew it was probably hopeless, and I was sorely tempted to give up. But then…I'd remember you in the main matches. How you kept on standing and fighting. In a way, Hinata-chan…you are my strength."

She nearly lost herself in the dark whirlpools of his eyes. How could one man say so many things that would touch her heart?

Softly, she laughed. He looked at her. "I'm sorry," she said, smiling. "It's just that…in the Hyuuga clan, most of our attacks involve chakra, and chakra is like light. But now…I'm turning to you. You control shadows. You control darkness. We're complete opposites, and yet…yet…"

He smiled as well. "I know. Pretty ironic, huh? A light user…"

He leaned closer to her, and she didn't back away. She seemed completely relaxed.

"…turning to darkness…"

Their eyes fluttered closed. They were so close.

"…for comfort."

Naruto turned away before their lips could meet. He didn't want to see anymore.

_Curse natural curiosity. _He thought, jumping from the tree branch he had been sitting on. He shouldn't even have followed them here. To this place.

"Dammit!" He muttered angrily, breaking free of the forest. The darkness settled on Konoha, yet he didn't notice. He didn't even know where he was going. To his home, to the river…who cared?

All he knew was that he was never going back to that place.

Never.

A/N: Stop barfing on the keyboard. It's over.

Sorry to those who hate sappy, sweet things, but I love it! I love sweet romance. I don't know if you agree with me, or if you want to kill me for even admitting it.

Oh well. At least Shikamaru _finally _told her. Jeez, that guy rules in endurance! Oh, and I really didn't feel like writing "I love you". It's just waaaaaayyyy too sappy. Even for me. And sorry about the lack of pagebreaks. Something's funky with my computer. The 'add ruler' button (or whatever it's called) won't work. Don't know why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that this computer is ancient.

Please review! Thank you!

PostScript: Yes, this chapter was short, but I'll make it up to you guys…somehow…someway…some chapter…


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Yeah, yeah. Sorry about the last chapter. Too mushy, I know. Oh well. At least you don't have to go back to it, right? Ahem…moving on. Glad to know not _everyone _got grossed out.

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews. Picker-upper if you know what I mean…Oh, and to bill-the-cat, there's no need to call me 'sama'. I think I'm younger than you. I'm only 13. Um…everyone knows I'm a girl, right? Some people have been calling me dude, so I was just worried…

Chapter 4: Untitled

Sasuke leapt through the air, landing gracefully on a tree branch. He looked up as the setting sun touched the horizon, bleeding red and orange onto the sky.

His dark gaze traveled to the village not to far from where he was.

Konoha.

He had left it a few weeks ago, due to…circumstances beyond his control. He hoped that his short absence would be enough for them to declare him "missing: presumed dead". From what he heard so far, that's exactly what the Hokage had did.

He shook his head. _It's foolish to return. _He told himself. _You're now a rebel, and you definitely won't be welcomed back with open arms._

_But still…_

He had to go back. He didn't care if the whole village thought he was a rebel, villain, or whatever. As long as those two people knew the truth, he'd be satisfied.

Shikamaru flung his kunai through the air. He heard a sharp sound of metal hitting metal. He grinned as Hinata smiled and took off her blindfold.

"That was perfect!' he said, picking up his kunai. Hinata had just managed to block at least eight of his kunai. Blindfolded.

"Arigato." She said, her cheeks a slight pink. He tucked his kunai back into his pocket.

"But…" his gaze traveled to the blood stain on the side of her jacket. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Hai." She said, nodding. "It didn't go down that deep and, besides, it was entirely my fault."

He shook his head and gently forced her to sit down. He sat down next to her, a look of concern on his face.

"You shouldn't force yourself, you know."

"I know…it's just…I…" she bit her bottom lip and trailed off. Shikamaru furrowed his brow. She looked really uncomfortable.

"Hinata-chan, what is it?" he asked tenderly. "You can tell me anything."

"It's just that…well…a few days ago, I…made a sort of…warm promise."

_Hinata buried her face into her folded arms, a sob escaping her throat. She was so…confused. A lot of things happened to her, and she couldn't keep it together. _

"_Darn it, darn it, DARN IT!" she sobbed, clenching her fists. "What's wrong…with…me? How…could I…have been…so…stupid?"_

_Sobs wracked her body. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder._

_She looked up to find Neji's soft white eyes boring into hers. He looked…angry. Annoyed._

"_Crying won't really help matters, you know." he said softly. _

_More tears leaked out. "I know," she said, looking away. "I just…can't…help it. I was so stupid!" she sobbed again. It was quite a pathetic sight, really._

"_Kami, would you just SHUT UP!" he yelled angrily. Hinata looked at him, a sob stuck in her throat._

"_Don't you realize how pathetic you sound?" he said, glaring. "Crying is stupid. Useless. It makes you seem weaker than you already are."_

_He turned away. "Kami, would you stop crying and grow up!"_

_Hinata watched him leave, unable to say anything. The tears no longer streamed down. They had completely dried up. Then, the sadness was replaced by anger. Once again, it wasn't there. The comfort that she had been wanting. She had to do without it. After all, as the heiress to this clan, she had to be strong, right?_

'_Fine', she thought. 'You want me to stop crying, Neji-nii-san? Then I'll stop. I'll literally stop crying.'_

She looked away, trying not to meet his eyes.

"You didn't give him a promise." He said. "You gave it to yourself. That doesn't mean-"

"A promise to myself is more important than any other promise I could give to anyone else!" she said angrily. "I made a promise to no longer cry, and I intend to keep it."

Shikamaru said nothing. Finally, he smiled. "All right," he said, standing and helping her up as well. "I'll respect that."

"Thank you," she said, returning his smile, happy he didn't try to dissuade her. "Thank you so much."

Neji jumped up, the kunai blade missing him by inches. He grabbed her thin, frail arm and threw her. She hit the wall and, with a loud _pop, _transformed into a block of wood.

_Damn, _he thought, _she's getting better._

"Gomenasai," a soft voice said behind him.

_Oh, great._

He felt her soft hand encircle the back of his neck. He felt his feet leave the floor and, a few painful seconds later; he was on his back, lying on the floor.

He heard a few dark mutters to his right, where he knew a few of the branch members were staying. To the left, a few claps rang out.

He looked up and saw one of the elders looking down at him.

"Well, done, Hinata-san. Exactly what is expected of the main. You're getting stronger and stronger every passing day."

She bowed, her cheeks tinted pale red.

He got to his feet, not wanting to know what the elders were going to say. Slowly, he left the training courtyard. No one noticed him, of course.

He walked down the path leading to the river. It was a full moon, so the path was quite illuminated. He felt a whole mix of emotions, all of which made no sense whatsoever.

Finally, he reached the waters edge. Sitting down, he sighed and lightly touched the surface of the water.

_Just a few more days, _he told himself, trying to calm down. _Just a few more days._

Sakura buried her face in her pillow, trying to stem the tears that were flowing freely down her face. She knew she should forget about him and move on. He had died a rebel. A traitor to the village. She was suddenly glad that his parents were dead. If they were still alive, they would have been sorely disappointed in their son. Their pain would be intense.

Or maybe they would be proud that he had finally acted like his brother. They had been comparing him to Itachi since the day they had died, or so he had told her.

She took a deep breath, hoping to calm herself. It didn't work. Not knowing why, she raised her head to look at her bedside table, she found her gaze resting on the framed picture that stood on its surface.

Fresh tears leaked out of her eyes as she looked at their faces. Team 7. Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, her…it seemed so long ago that all their worries were just missions, battles, and the occasional spat between friends. Sure, most of those problems had resulted or included danger, but at least they had faced it together. Now, Kakashi-sensei was dead, (more tears leaked out) and it was Sasuke, they man she had once loved, who had killed him. And now, to top it all off, Naruto wasn't himself anymore. He was more quiet, serious, and she never saw much of him. He had even stopped going to the Ramen shop. _Everyone _had noticed that.

Come to think of it, no one saw much of him anymore. She knew of only two people who had seen him the past week: Shikamaru and Hinata. But both had seemed rather reluctant to answer her questions about him. Uncomfortable, in fact, to even discuss him.

It was strange. Whenever she'd ask Hinata, she would never say his name anymore. She seemed angry. And considering that Hinata used to go 'gaga' over him and seemed to think that he could do no wrong, that was intense.

She let out another sigh and turned away from the picture. She wished she could just stop crying, but the tears hardly dried up.

A rap on the door startled her put of her sorrowful stupor.

"Sakura," her mother's voice rang out, "are you still crying? It's late. You need sleep."

"I'll sleep when I'm ready." Sakura snapped, rather irritated. Trust her mother to be insensitive to her feelings right now. "Leave me alone!"

A soft sigh, then the sweet sound of footsteps walking away.

Sakura turned on her side and tried to sleep. It didn't work.

Shikamaru watched him move his hands through the water, causing ripples to branch out. He seemed completely lost in thought. His face seemed paler, like her hadn't seen the sun in three weeks or so, and there was no trace of his standard sunny smile left on his face.

_Jeez, Naruto, _Shikamaru thought, ._you really let yourself go._

Finally, all was still. Naruto just lay on his back, a distant look on his face.

_Did he fall asleep? _Shikamaru wondered,leaning forward, trying to get a good look at his face. He had hidden behind the trunk of the tree

He froze to see tears running down his cheeks. He looked sorely miserable.

Shikamaru bit his lip. It was obvious. He loved her, more than he was probably willing to admit. Why was he so afraid to admit it? What was holding him back?

Shikamaru nearly jumped when he saw Hinata peek out from the branches above him. Her pale eyes were fixed on Naruto, and she looked as miserable he did. Then, it happened. A few pale streams of tears ran down her face, as if she was feeling exactly what he was. As if she knew the pain he was probably feeling.

Shikamaru turned away. Neither of them noticed him.

They were exactly the same, weren't they? They were both afraid to let their feelings show. But it was crystal clear. They loved each other.

They **_still _**loved each other.

And he knew what he had to do now.

A/N: Yeah, I know. Sorta sucky ending, right? I'll leave you all to wonder exactly what Shika-kun _and _Neji-kun are gonna do. Oh, and I decided to give some time to Sakura. As much as people probably hate her, I'm just trying to show them that she was probably one of the people most affected by the current happenings. Her sensei dies, her love interest is banned a traitor, and her best guy friend is not acting like himself anymore.

Oh, and tell me what you think Sasuke's doing back in Konoha. I just want to know what you suspect, that's all...

Oh, and sorry about the lack of pagebreaks. This computer is **_a-n-c-i-e-n-t. _**Ancient.

Um, review please! Thanks!

PostScript: Um…do my stories really suck? 'Coz a few of my schoolmates read my story 'SorrowFilled-Eyes', and they said it was crappy. From the title to the ending, or so they say.

Um…is it really _that _bad? Just wondering…


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to everyone for the great reviews! Oh, yes, I passed my Filipino exam, (barely) so thanks for the concern.

This is one of those _climatic _(I think) chapters, but it's not gonna be so long. It may be a bit tear-jerking, but that depends on how emotional you are or if you LURVE ShikaHina.

To all ShikaHina lovers, after this chapter, please, please, **please, **don't flame me!

Gomenasai!

Chapter 5: **If I Love You…**

"She's getting better, Neji-kun," TenTen said, hoping to soothe him, "you have to admit that. But both of you are quite skilled in your own way, so there's no need to be jealous."

"I never said I was jealous." Neji responded flatly, not even looking at her. His pale eyes were fixed on Hinata. She and Shikamaru were training in the Hyuga courtyard, and she had been able to dodge, stop, and block each and every one of Shikamaru's strikes. Blindfolded.

Watching them as well was Hiashi and Hanabi. Both looked extremely proud of her. She was, after all, 'living up to the standards expected of the clan's heiress'.

"It's…kind of obvious, really," TenTen said softly, "because whenever you look at her, you get this funny look in your eyes. Like you want to…kill her or something."

Silence.

"N-Neji-kun?"

He turned to her, and she was glad to see a smile lighting up his features.

"I'd have to be insane to kill someone for that reason." He said.

"Yeah," she responded, calming down, "yeah, you're right." She gave a small chuckle.

Neji turned back to watch the training session, the smile never leaving his face.

Shikamaru had managed to stop her using the shadow bind. He lunged forward and sank his foot into her gut.

Hinata gave a gasp of pain as her back hit the ground. She took off her blindfold and grinned up at the lazy nin, who was beaming back at her.

"Finally!" he said, throwing up his hands in mock jubilation. "The great heiress falls!"

"Yeah," Neji said softly, "you're right. She _will _fall."

oOo

"Come on," Shikamaru said, holding out his hand to help Hinata up. "I think we've earned a lunch break"

Hinata took his hand and stood up, grinning mischievously. "We? I'm the one who had to block all attacks blindfolded!"

"What about me? I'm the one who had to attack!"

She giggled and they prepared to leave. Pushing open the courtyard doors, they stepped out.

"So," Shikamaru said, shoving his hands into his pockets, "where to?"

"Oh, anywhere," Hinata said, shrugging. "it's fine with me."

Shikamaru was about to say something, then he noticed a flash of yellow, orange and black from behind a tree a few feet away.

_He sure likes to stalk us, _he thought, _doesn't he?_

"Shikamaru-kun?" Hinata asked tentatively, "what's wrong?"

He turned back to her and rearranged his features into a convincing half-smile. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

oOo

Sasuke glanced into the window, watching her tenderly brush her fingers over the photo. His heart ached to see the pale river of tears flowing down her face, and he longed to go inside and comfort her. To whisper to her the whole truth. To brush away any pain she had inside her.

It was the hopes of a fool, and he knew it well. Shaking his head, he jumped down to the ground and disappeared into a dark alleyway. True, he was risking a lot by sneaking into Konoha in daylight. But the crowded streets would lessen the chance of someone seeing or noticing him.

Crouching in the corner, he buried his face in his arms as he tried to rest. He hadn't slept for three days. Someone had seen him three days ago as he had made his way to the village. Now, the Hokage knew he was alive, and she had sent several ANBU members and Jounin to capture him. Ever since then, he had fought to save his neck non-stop.

Sleep overcame the rebel, and he slowly drifted into the world of dreams.

_The masked Jounin jumped in front of him, preparing to attack._

_Sasuke had, by that time, had enough. For two whole nights people had been trying to murder him and he just felt sick of it. _

"_Why can't you leave me alone!" he screamed, lunging at him. The Jounin caught him by the ankle and flung him against the nearby tree. Sasuke managed to use it as leverage, and he lunged at him again._

_The Jounin sank his foot deep into his gut, and Sasuke found himself lying helpless on the ground._

"_My orders were to capture you," the Jounin said, his voice muffled by the mask. He leaned closer, preparing to tie him up. Sasuke stared into his eyes. Kindness and pity shone brightly in them. His heart wasn't in this at all. _

_But two nights without rest was enough to play tricks on his health. The flickering torches that lay on the ground glowed a bright red as the flames slowly died away. The light seemed to make his eyes turn red, like…like his brother. Itachi. But no…_

_It's not my brother, Sasuke thought weakly, his eyes never showed kindness. Never._

_Then, Kakashi flashed in his mind. His eyes, different shades, but the exact sign of kindness in each. _

_It's him! His mind thought weakly. He came back to punish me…I killed him, after all. No…no…I didn't. I didn't! It wasn't me! It wasn't me!_

_The Jounin took out ropes, his eyes never leaving Sasuke's._

_Stop…he thought. It wasn't me. Believe me!_

"_It wasn't me!" he screamed, causing the Jounin temporary paralysis._

_Sasuke jumped to his feet, eyes blazing, expression wild._

"_It wasn't me!" he screamed again, taking out his kunai and jumping in to attack. It wasn't him. It was his brother. It wasn't him…_

_Sasuke glared at the broken, bleeding body of the Jounin. He wasn't thinking clearly. He had actually killed someone. But, it was all right, wasn't it? He had tried to capture him, so he had naturally defended himself. It was all right, it was all right…_

_He carefully peeled back the mask, just so he would be satisfied. He needed to know it wasn't Kakashi-sensei. _

_It wasn't._

_Sasuke found himself staring into the pale face of Asuma-sensei. His eyes were still open, and he seemed to be looking at Sasuke accusingly._

"_No," Sasuke whimpered, the tears starting to run down. "I didn't mean to…how could I have known…I never…I…I…"_

_His eyes just stared at him._

"_It's not my fault," Sasuke said, gulping down the tears. "It's not my fault!"_

Sasuke woke up with a start. It had come back to haunt him again. Asuma-sensei was dead, and he had killed him.

"But it wasn't my fault." Sasuke said out loud, trying to convince himself. "It wasn't…it wasn't…"

His sobs echoed throughout the deserted alleyway.

Even the strongest could fall.

Especially when the emotional pain was too much for an innocent rebel to handle.

oOo

Hinata sighed as she watched the sun slowly sink in the horizon, setting the sky on fire. The bright red and orange mixed together perfectly. Shikamaru smiled at her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "It's just like the time Naruto-kun first brought me here," she said softly, not realizing what she was saying. "The sunset seemed so close, you could almost touch it, and the colors were so bright and rich, it was like the sun was bleeding and…"she trailed off.

Biting her lip, she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize what I…I was just…" she bowed her head, trying not to look at him.

He gently laid his hand across her cheek, startling her. She looked up to see his coal-black eyes staring into her pale-lavender ones.

"Hinata, you're doing no one any good if you continue to act like this, you know." he said gently.

"What are you-?"

"When you swore to have nothing to do with him, you were angry that time. Anger clouds the mind and causes people to do or say things they don't really mean."

"Shikamaru-kun, I…"

"Hinata-chan," he removed his hand and grasped her hands tightly, "you know why you were angry at Naruto. Because he never could listen to what his heart was saying. He tried to hide his feelings, and it caused him confusion. Don't do what he did, Hinata. Don't deceive your heart."

She understood what he was saying, and she could only stare into his eyes. Into his soul. Here was the man who loved her so much; he was willing to suffer just so she could be happy. The strongest ninja she would ever meet.

"But," she said softly, "what about…us?"

He had told her, hadn't he, that he had waited for so long. Suffered in silence, because he didn't want to disrupt her happiness. So many years, and he never gave up on her, even though he knew she could probably never be his. Though he knew her heart would always belong to another…

Silence. She could no longer see his expression, for the shadows hid his face from view. And, she knew what he was thinking.

She was his strength, wasn't she? The only reason he never gave up hope. The only thing that kept him going. Maybe, he wasn't strong enough. Maybe he couldn't handle the pain of going back to caged silence. It didn't seem fair to cause him pain, just to make her happy. After all he had done for her, it didn't seem fair.

She felt his fingers under her chin, and she looked at him. His features were calm, relaxed. But his eyes betrayed him. So full of fear, confusion, and sadness, it nearly tore her heart apart just to look into them.

"Hinata-chan," he said softly, "it's all right with me. Whatever you choose, it's all right. After all…"he closed his eyes, trying to block out her face. The face that would cause him empty pain all over again.

"If I love you, I'll let you go."

A/N: I will not cry…I will not cry…

'coz the moment I cry, Id probably zap the keyboard. It is **_ancient!_**

Kind of a bittersweet ending, neh? Shikamaru-kun, you rule! Hey, at least you know he loves her _that _much.

Don't worry; you'll still see a lot of Shikamaru-kun in the later chapters.

The Sasuke's Sorrow part kind of hurt a lot, too. I mean, he killed one of the Jounin's he knew. And, Kakashi's death is probably weighing on his conscience. Survivor's guilt, and all. And, don't worry. You'll know what the heck he's doing in Konoha in the next chapter. And the next chapter will signal the start of the Chuunin matches! NeoW!

PostScript: What is it with sunsets and me? Why can't it be sun_rises?_ Oh well…


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Yeah, a lot of people definitely did not like the ending to the previous chapter. They want Hinata to stick to Shikamaru-kun.

sniffle I'm in tears. I LURVE Naruto-kun…oh well…

I guess I did kind of make him the insensitive one here. But still…I wuvs him.

Okay, onto the chapter.

P.S. Sasuke fans, your fave character will seem really OC here. Just thought I should warn you. Oh, and this is a song chapter (is that allowed?) so just note that the italicized words in between paragraphs are the song lyrics themselves.

I don't know the title of the song or what band song it, but it was the theme song in Treasure Planet. And it's not gonna be complete…

Chapter 6: I Want a Moment… 

The pale moonlight wrapped him in soft, white light. He tried to ignore the melodramatic setting, especially since it was matching his mood exactly like some cheesy Greek opera of sorts.

Tomorrow would be the second Chuunin exams. The Genins who didn't make it the first time would have another go at it.

Among them would be Hinata, and she, of course, would be getting his full support.

_But…_he thought sadly, _will she still accept it?_

He sighed. He hated hurting her. But it just seems to come naturally to him. She deserved happiness.

No wonder he didn't deserve her.

_Dammit! _He thought, burying his face in his hands. Why was he so complex? Why couldn't his heart just spit out what he really felt so that everyone could get on with their lives?

It's just the way things are, he thought glumly, and I guess I can't do anything about it. 

Maybe…if Hinata was willing to forgive him…

_Forget it! _He thought, shaking his head. _You had your chance with her, and you blew it. Then, you confuse her so much, you nearly shove her off the edge of certainty. She'd have to be inhumanely kind to forgive you._

He sat in silence for who-knew-how-many minutes, chasing down answers that didn't even exist to questions he didn't even know.

"Dammit!" he yelled suddenly, "what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing much."

Naruto's whole body stiffened. He knew that voice. He whipped around; half-hoping it wasn't who he thought it was.

His hopes were in vain.

"Sasuke," he said, his cerulean eyes wide in shock. Then, they narrowed.

"What are you doing back here, traitor?" he asked, his voice low with rage.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. After years of being sarcastic with Naruto, it was almost second nature to him. "Please. Can't a guy go back to his own village without having to pick a fight with his best friend?"

"This isn't your village anymore!" Naruto snapped, his eyes blazing.

A few moments of silence, then…

"And I'm not your best friend," he said more softly, "not anymore."

The words stung Sasuke, but he didn't show it. Instead, he let out a deep sigh. "Look, Naruto, I know you must be pretty angry at me…"

"Not angry." Naruto cut in, still glaring. "Furious."

"Naruto, please," Sasuke said, clenching his fist. "Just listen to me."

"Shut up, traitor." Naruto growled. "Listening and believing you was my first mistake. I'm not going to listen. Not anymore."

_For the words are just whispers_

_And lies I will never believe!_

Sasuke ignored the painful feeling in his chest. He had to explain before he left. Never mind the villagers. The people closest to him had to know the truth.

It would hurt too much if he lived the rest of his life knowing that they didn't.

_I want a moment_

_To be real,_

"I swear, this is important. I need to tell you," Sasuke said, desperately searching those cerulean eyes for a sign of friendship. Acknowledgement.

He tried to hold on to the fact that, perhaps, Naruto hadn't forgotten their friendship.

_Want to touch things I don't feel._

_Want to hold on…_

He saw nothing. Nothing except the icy indifference and resentment Naruto felt for him. He could see it in his eyes. And he knew.

He was alone.

_And feel I belong…_

"Please…" he said softly. Naruto didn't seem to hear him. Didn't seem to care.

_'Coz I've got a question, I can't say… You won't listen, anyway_

"Go away, traitor," Naruto growled, "you don't belong here. Not after what you did. What you tried to do."

Sasuke looked at him, desperation in his eyes. The emotions threatened to flood him.

_You don't know me,_

_But I'm still here!_

"Don't ignore me!" Sasuke yelled, punching him straight in the gut. Why wouldn't they believe him anymore? Why couldn't they trust him?

How come they no longer remembered him?

Sasuke stopped, realizing what he had just done. _Oops, _he thought, mentally kicking himself for losing his temper.

Naruto was in front of him before he knew it. Eyes blazing, Naruto slammed his fist upwards, hitting Sasuke's jaw. He managed to summersault in mid-air and landed gracefully on his feet.

"Dammmit, would you get outta my life?" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto, I'm sorry!" Sasuke said hurriedly, "I just…when you…just try to understand!" he said, getting exasperated. "How do you think I-DAMN!" he managed to jump away just in time before Naruto could shove his kunai into his throat.

"I'm not going to listen to anything you say, so don't waste your breath!" Naruto yelled, flinging the kunai at him. Sasuke expertly dodged it.

Naruto ran forward and tried to hit him, his fists flying everywhere. Sasuke tried to pacify him.

"I'm sorry, okay!" I just lost control!" Sasuke yelled, trying his best to avoid those hands.

"Oh? And why would that be?" Naruto sneered sarcastically, kneeing him hard in the gut. Sasuke gasped in shock and pain. "Oh, wait. Don't answer. It's not like it'll matter!" he yelled, jumping up and kicking Sasuke on the jaw. Sasuke groaned as he slammed against the roof tiles.

Naruto wasn't done. He ran forward and tried to continue his tide of punches, but Sasuke immediately jumped to his feet and started blocking all attempted attacks.

"Naruto, for once in your life, would you just listen?"

"Shut up!"

"This is pointless," Sasuke said. "I mean, how did you expect me to feel?"

"When?" Naruto asked, his fist connecting with Sasuke's cheek. "When you decided to rebel against the village? Decided to kill Kakashi-sensei? Or when you decided to hurt the girl closest to me, just so you could hurt me as well! When!"

"When you treated me like nothing!" Sasuke yelled back, grabbing Naruto's wrists and forcing him to stop. Forcing his cerulean gaze to meet his jet-black eyes. "When you decided to ignore the fact that we were ever friends," he said, breathing hard, "when you decided to ignore me like I was worth nothing. HOW DID YOU EXPECT ME TO FEEL!"

"Exactly like I did!" Naruto yelled, his hands gripping Sasuke's arms, nails digging into his flesh.

Sasuke froze, those deep blue eyes penetrating his. Naruto glared at him, breathing hard.

"What you may have felt," he said softly, "only moments ago, is exactly how I felt when I learned that you were plotting against me. When I saw you fighting her, trying to kill her. You knew how much she meant to me, yet you attacked her like she was nothing. Nothing but a mere object that was annoying you."

"The pain you may have felt is as painful as what I felt when I realized I was nothing to you," he continued, his gaze still penetrating, "nothing but a simple obstacle that you had to clear in order to become stronger. More powerful."

Silence.

"Is it worth it, Sasuke?" Naruto asked softly. His eyes looked tired.

Defeated.

"You've gained strength and power in the exchange of a friend, who probably never meant that much to you. Is it worth the trade?

And they stood that way for several seconds. Maybe minutes. Perhaps hours. Who knew? Time lost all meaning to them.

Finally, Sasuke broke the silence. "Our friendship," he said softly, "means everything to me. That's why I did that. I did what I had to do."

Naruto said nothing, but Sasuke knew he had to explain.

"In my heart, I knew I could never defeat you. I knew that, no matter how hard I'd try, you'd emerge the victor. It was pointless to try."

"But I knew _he _could defeat you." Sasuke continued, "Uchiha Itachi. I knew he possessed abilities far beyond those of normal ninjas. And…I knew he was after you. After my best friend."

Sasuke's eyes seemed to be pleading him to understand. "Don't you see it now? I had to stop him. I wanted to. There was no way I was going to let him hurt you. But, I had to be as powerful as him if I wanted even a slight hope of defeating him. I thought, if I could survive even a battle against you…if I could even just fatally injure you…it would be enough. It would mean that I was strong enough. But I could never kill you."

"You're my best friend."

This time, it was Naruto's eyes that seemed to widen in shock. It was Sasuke's eyes that looked defeated. The truth had to be known.

"I…I don't want him to kill you," Sasuke said after a while, his voice cracking. "So…so…it's all right. I turned my back to this village, at the same time opening the possibility that I may never be welcomed again, because I had to. I knew I would feel the same empty feeling of loneliness again, but it's all right with me. I don't care, as long as it means…"

Naruto looked at him, seeing him in a new light. It was perfectly clear.

"…I can protect…"

They could never go back.

"…my best friend."

Because they had never left.

Naruto closed his eyes. He felt like the lowest of the low. His best friend had suffered, and all he had done was add to the burden.

When he opened them, he looked deep into Sasuke's onyx eyes.

He didn't need to say anything.

His eyes said it all.

Finally, Sasuke let go of him. "I came back so I could tell all this to you. I may always be an S-rank criminal in the bingo book, but it doesn't matter, as long as I'm not one in your eyes."

Naruto nodded. Then, he softly said, "It wasn't you who killed Kakashi-sensei, was it?"

Sasuke shook his head no.

Naruto nodded again, unable to speak. He had judged his friend so harshly. He had hardly trusted him. He had been so wrong all along.

"Oh," Sasuke said suddenly, "do me a favor and tell all this to Sakura, okay? I want her to know the truth."

Naruto smiled. "Sure. Anything to stop the waterworks."

Sasuke laughed, but it quickly died down. His face serious, he turned away.

He had to go now.

He didn't belong here.

"I'll see around, someday," Sasuke said. "We'll meet again, and maybe-just maybe-we can go back, Back to the days of laughter and good-natured insults and friendly competitions."

Naruto nodded, his demeanor serious. "I'd like that, but is it even possible?"

He looked at the moon. Like so many things, it had a dark side to it. "With all the problems we'll face, all the trials we'll probably go through, is it even possible to go back and laugh as carefree as before, like nothing ever happened?"

Sasuke was silent for a few moments. Suddenly, he burst out laughing. Naruto looked at him, alarmed.

"We…d-definitely can…" Sasuke gasped out, in between suppressed chortles, "th-that is…if you c-continue…to sound…like some cheesy narrator for some sappy Greek drama!"

Naruto's face broke into a grin. Looking back, he really did sound so crappy back then. Pretty soon, he was laughing as hard as Sasuke was.

The two laughed for what seemed like hours, and neither cared if someone mistook them for a couple of hyenas that had somehow ended up on a roof. It felt great to laugh.

Finally, they quieted down. Sasuke looked at him with a sad, small smile as he prepared to leave.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke whirled around to face him. Naruto knelt down, wiped some of the blood off the tiles, and then held up his outstretched arm to Sasuke, blood dripping from his fist.

"Know this: when the time comes that you have to face Itachi, you will not be alone."

Sasuke smiled, then nodded. "You don't have to tell me that, Naruto."

"I already know."

oOo

"Stop worrying, Hinata-nee-san," Hanabi said, gripping her sister's wrists and bringing her arms down to stop her from twiddling her fingers. "You'll do fine."

Next to Hanabi, Hiashi nodded. "It's true. I've been watching you train, after all. You're definitely ready."

Hinata smiled, thankful for their support. Then, she hugged both of them good-bye and ran off towards the building. All the others who had failed the first time would be there, and she ran over the list of who she'd possibly be paired against.

She met a certain dark-haired nin at the entrance to the building.

"Ohayou, Shikamaru-kun." She said, flashing him a smile. He smiled in return. "Haven't you ever heard of coming early?"

"I'm not _that _late," she said reproachfully, "besides, these things never star in time."

"True," he said thoughtfully, leading her into the arena and up the steps.

Hinata smiled, and then she looked at the people waiting at the top. Almost everyone was there. Then, she saw Naruto looking at her, and the smile vanished. It was replaced by a look of surprise. She hadn't expected him to come.

He saw her looking at him as well. Immediately, embarrassment colored his face, and he looked away.

She sighed. What else was new? He had always been like that.

oOo

She closed her eyes as she watched TenTen grab her (already) bloody opponent by the neck and slam him into the wall.

There was a scream of pain, then all was silent.

The referee came close and examined him. Then, he stood up and pointed his hand to TenTen.

"Winner."

The medic team came in, bringing a collapsible stretcher. TenTen smiled apologetically as the medic nin's lifted him up and placed him gently on the stretcher. There was a certain amount of cheering in the sidelines as she made her way up the steps. Lee met her halfway in order to congratulate her.

Hinata's attention, however, was drawn to the mechanical screen on the wall. It had just flashed her name, and now it was running through a list of the remaining participants. Then, it stopped.

Inuzuka Kiba.

She sucked in her breath. True, Kiba was a very determined kind of guy, and he and his dog, Akamaru, made a nearly unstoppable pair, but that wasn't the only thing bothering her.

Kiba had done something to her, not to long ago, and the result had made both feel **_extremely _**uncomfortable in each other's presence.

(darkwaterreflection: for details, kindly go back to chapter 3 or 4 (I forgot) of SorrowFilled Eyes. Thank you, and have a nice day. XP)

Slowly, she made her way down into the arena. Kiba was waiting for her, and he looked as uncomfortable as she did.

There was silence for a few minutes as both pointedly refused to look at each other. Then, Kiba broke it.

"Hinata-chan," he said loudly, causing her to look up. "I know I should have said this earlier, but I guess I just couldn't find the right way to say it. I'm sorry for what I did in the past. Please know that, no matter what I feel for you, I won't let it get in the way of our friendship."

Hinata smiled. "Arigato, Kiba-kun."

Kiba smiled. "Let's do our best, Hinata-chan."

She nodded, then immediately moved into her fighting stance.

Kiba grinned as Akamaru jumped off his head and stood beside him, teeth bared.

The referee looked at each of them, then nodded. "Hajime!"

"Akamaru!" Kiba yelled, placing his hands together to form a seal. "Now!"

With an excited yip, Akamaru began to transform. Kiba bent forward, as if he was about to attack, then…

Everything stopped. Kiba was looking at Hinata with wide eyes that looked completely shocked. He didn't move; didn't say anything. He just stood there for what seemed an eternity.

"K-kiba-kun?" Hinata said tentatively. "A-are you a-alright?"

Suddenly

He fell face forward, hitting the floor with a soft thump. Hinata gave a small squeak of surprise and jumped back.

A kunai was embedded in his neck. Her pale gaze traveled from the blade of that deadly weapon, to the eyes of the murderer, who was standing behind his victim.

Her silver eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"N-neji-nii-san…"

A/N: I really don't know if you guys were expecting that, but if you were, sorry I made it so obvious.

And let's give a round of applause to Sasuke. NOW you know why he did it in the first place. At least we know they've got unrivaled friendship…

sigh I really wanted to kill him off, but nee-san might kill _me, _so…

Three more chapters and this is done!

Next chapter will be short. Just thought I ought to warn you…

Bye!

PostScript: 'Hajime' means 'Begin'. But if you already knew that…


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: As warned, this chapter will be really short because I'm in the middle of my long tests week, so it's not advisable that I stay in front of the computer for too long.

Sorry to all Neji fans…

What can I say? Ever since he hurt Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan, I've…disliked him. A LOT.

Yeah, I know he's got issues with the main and branch houses, but still…

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, or else I wouldn't be writing on this site.

Chapter 7: Fight Destiny

"What is he doing here?" Naruto asked, looking at Sakura. As if she could explain.

"How should I know, _baka_!" she shot back, although she sounded more worried and frightened than angry. "What I'd like to know is _why _he did that!"

The medic team rushed in to help Kiba. Neji whipped around and flung kunai at them. One by one, they dropped to the ground as the kunai hit them in the neck, the chest and other vital areas.

(A/N: Yeah, I'd say Neji's _that _good.)

"No one comes near," he said warningly, "No one."

"N-neji-nii-san," Hinata whimpered, "why are you doing this? What's wrong?"

"I'm sick of it," he said bitterly, turning to face her, "the main has always been better than the branch, or so everyone believed. But I changed all that. I was, admittedly, at first, better than you. I was stronger. I mastered the defense technique the Hyuga's are known for at the earliest possible age. I, from the branch family, managed to surpass you."

"It encouraged the branch members, you know," he said in a softer tone, "It gave them hope that, perhaps, the main wasn't as amazing as everyone thought it **should **be. And in doing so, I…I did what my dad wanted me to do."

Hinata looked at him closely. Was it her imagination, or did his eyes seem slightly watery?

"I opposed fate. I opposed destiny."

"But then, everything changed. You had demonstrated you ability, and soon, the main once again surpassed the branch. We were once again the people shunned in the background. And…I-I felt it. The disappointment of the branch members."

A slight pause. He seemed to be unwilling to say anything else. But the, he strengthened his resolve.

"You can't imagine the guilt I feel," he said, looking at her straight in the eyes. "Somehow, someway, I had to prove once again that the branch could be stronger. More than anything, I had to fight destiny."

"And here's my chance. Right now. Hinata, you'll fight against me. Then I'll know if destiny really can't be opposed."

"Stop!" Tsunade yelled, panic rising in her voice, "I won't allow this! You are already Chuunin level while she is a Genin. It's un-"

"This goes beyond your power, Hokage-sama," Neji interrupted softly, "this is a family matter, so I'll have to ask you to keep out of it."

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata yelled, drawing his attention back to her.

"D-don't do this," she whispered, bringing her hands up like a shield, "Maybe…we could do something to change the way things are. I know the guilt that you're feeling," she continued, "and I know how much it hurts. The pain of letting someone down…I felt it, too. After you defeated me in the Chuunin exams, after the elders started giving you more attention, my father was disappointed. And his disappointment hurt me a lot."

She closed her eyes, as if remembering all that had happened before.

"Believe it or not, Neji-nii-san," she said in a low but firm voice, "I, too, want to fight destiny."

He looked at her, unconvinced. And she knew; her words did not reach him. He was deafened and blinded by pain.

"We can fight destiny together," she said, her voice growing fainter, "it doesn't have to be this way."

"Yes, it does." He said, crouching into his fighting stance, eyes blazing, "Believe me, it does. Now, prepare yourself!"

"N-no," she whispered, closing her eyes. _Somebody stop this, _she thought wildly, _before it gets out of control!_

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of running. He was charging towards her, blue chakra running up and down his arm.

There was nothing she could do now. No turning back.

She blocked each and every one of his attacks, her heart unwilling to counterattack. At the same time, she tried to reason with him.

"N-neji-nii-san," she whimpered, raising both arms to form an 'X', completely stopping his punch.

"We can stop this, now!" she said, pushing his hand away, trying to get him to understand.

"I don't want to stop," he hissed, his foot connecting solidly with her jaw. He watched, satisfied, as she hit the floor with a painful groan.

"Don't you realize? This is to the death."

"No!" Naruto yelled, gripping the ledge tightly.

"N-naruto-kun, wait!" Hinata yelled. "Don't-"

It was too late. Naruto clambered on the ledge and jumped down.

"She's right!" he yelled, seething. "It doesn't have to be this way!"

"Shut up," Neji said, throwing a kunai at him. He dodged it easily.

"Baka!" he yelled, charging forward, "there's no need to do something this drastic. Listen to reason!"

Neji met him head on, intending to strike him in the chest. Naruto jumped away, glaring at him. "Are you insane? You're willing to die or commit murder, just to try and restore lost honor? That's crazy!"

His cerulean eyes widened as Neji suddenly appeared in front of him.

"So maybe it is," he said softly, plunging a kunai into Naruto's gut, "but I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Damn…you." Naruto glared at him, his voice coming out broken.

Neji said nothing. He slowly pulled out the kunai, causing the blood to spurt and Naruto to choke.

"Naruto-kun…"

Hinata was looking at him, eyes wide and alarmed. Naruto could only gaze at her weakly. She has warned him, he didn't listen. Once again, he made the wrong choice.

He could only whisper "I'm sorry," before he hit the ground.

A/N: Hey that's the quickest time I've ever typed a chapter.

If you guys somehow read 'PONTLESS WAR', you'll notice that I love making the seemingly weak character the strongest.

What? I can relate to those characters. People always looking down on you, ignoring you coz you're worth nothing to them…

Oops. Sorry. This isn't a journal. And I just remembered something my classmate told me: "people don't want to listen to your problems, because they are of no concern to them." Sorry. Won't happen again.

Okay…on to advanced algebra…


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This is a very rare opportunity, so read carefully:

If you want to flame me, GO AHEAD!

If you've been dying to flame me ever since this suck-fest of a story started, feel free to do it! At least that'll be a piece criticism, rejection or whatever, that I'll know will happen. At least I'll EXPECT it.

Because I'm tired of people talking stuff about me behind my back. I mean, if they don't like me, why can't they say it to my face! Why do they have to hide?

If I suck that much, at least have the courage to tell it to my face!

And yes, this goes to my schoolmates who are reading this. You have NEVER heard me shout in class, I go soft on you guys, I easily get surprised, and you have dubbed me "Hinata", because of it. I can forgive that. You call me "weak" and "worthless" almost everyday, and I guess I can forgive that, too.

But to insult the one thing I'm proud of about myself is…just…

You never heard me raise my voice yet, right?

On Monday, you're going to see a side of me you haven't seen yet.

And I'm. NOT. JOKING.

**Chapter 8: In Your Eyes**

_A/N: Another song chapter. Title: "Prodigy" or "In Your Eyes"…I'm not sure. Thanks to death-angel-hikari for the lyrics._

Hinata stared numbly at Naruto, and then at Neji. He was serious.

"N-neji-nii-san," she whimpered, "why?"

_I'm searching for answers_

'_Coz something's not right._

"I already told you why," Neji said coldly, his gaze empty. Devoid of feeling. "Now, stand up already. I'm getting impatient."

_I'll hold the signs up_

_Close to the light._

Something inside her snapped and she lost herself to her own darkened maelstrom. She no longer remembered the fact that he was her cousin. Related to her. All she knew that he killed two of her best friends already.

If that didn't call for punishment, then she didn't know what did.

From the sidelines, Shikamaru gripped the ledge tightly.

"We have to stop this!" Sakura said desperately from beside him. "Hinata could get seriously hurt, like before!"

"It's not Hinata I'm worried about," Shikamaru said ominously, turning his coal-black eyes to her, "It's Neji."

"What? Why?"

"I've trained with Hinata, and I've seen a mere sample of what she can do," he stated grimly, "not to mention that, for some reason, seeing Naruto hurt just adds to her will and strength."

"How good is she?"

"She blocked all my attacks, blindfolded. The elders have been praising her because she's been beating Neji at training matches. He shouldn't fight her. It's too dangerous."

_I know that soon you'll reveal…_

"She's too dangerous."

_Your danger in time…_

She stood up and glared at Neji, hate radiating from every fiber in her body. And in her eyes…

…an intent to kill.

_It's in your eyes!_

_What's on your mind?_

"Gong to fight now?" Neji asked, raising an eyebrow. Hinata simply closed her eyes. They snapped open, her pupils a stark white. Veins bulged at the side of her head.

She slid into her fighting stance, chakra already glowing up and down her arm.

Neji's smirk disappeared. He dashed forward, and in an instant was attacking her with amazing speed.

Right, left, curved up, down…it didn't matter. Hinata blocked each and every one of his attacks.

Neji ducked down and hit her ankles, causing her to fall to the floor. Neji lunged, preparing to attack. Hinata rolled out of the way and slammed the knife-edge of her hand onto the back of his neck.

He let loose a groan of pain, then whipped around, slamming his hand into her gut. She disappeared into a puff of smoke. Neji jumped up, the kunai she had flung at him missing him by inches. He did a forward flip in the air, then landed on the other side of the room.

"You've gotten better," He said softly. "Why is that?"

"Blame it on the man you stabbed a moment ago," she snapped bitterly, "He showed me that I really _am _strong. I just needed to bring it out. He…he was my strength," she flared up, "and you destroyed it!" she yelled, dashing forward. It was like the Chuunin exams, so many months ago.

Except it was different.

Both Hyuuga's were attacking each other at top speed and blocking each with what seemed like ease.

In one attempt, Neji managed to grasp both her wrists. "He's your strength, right?" he asked softly.

"That's right," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. She twisted around to free her hands, then she grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall.

How many times were they going to hurt him, because of her? How many times were they going to take away her strength? How many times was she going to fail to protect him?

She walked toward him, performing seals along the way. She stopped and held up her hand. It seemed to be on fire with chakra. She gazed down at him, and Neji had to admit that she looked quite intimidating.

"One last chance, Neji," she said, her tone deadly, "let's stop this."

"I told you," he said, "this is to the death. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm not quite dead yet."

Her eyes blazed, and she swooped, preparing to plunge her hand into his heart.

"Why?"

Hinata stopped, her hand inches from his chest.

"If he's your 'strength', than why do you become stronger when he's gone?" Neji asked, his gaze penetrating hers. And he saw it. The tiniest flicker of doubt in her eyes.

_See the truth that you've buried inside._

"Maybe he's _not _your strength after all," Neji said softly, "Maybe there never was anyone who was your 'strength'. Maybe you've believed in a lie for so long."

_It's in your eyes!_

_What's on your mind…_

Neji nearly smirked. So gullible. Easy to manipulate. Confusion could stop the seemingly unstoppable. Doubt could break the seemingly unbreakable.

Swift as lightning, he had managed to grab Hinata by the neck. He threw her over his head, slamming her headfirst into the wall. He watched as she slid down in a crumpled heap. She made no move to get up, so he kicked her, causing her to gasp out in pain.

"You disgust me," Neji hissed, "you haven't changed at all!" he slapped her. The skin broke, and blood seeped out. "You're still dependent on other people. The moment they leave, you hide behind a lie." He picked her up by her hair. She groaned.

"You're a coward. Once a coward, forever a coward. I said it before, I'll say it again." He flung her to the floor.

_There's no mercy inside of your heart…_

"You can _never _change."

Shikamaru gripped the ledge tightly. This was her battle, and he shouldn't interfere. But Neji had plundered her weakness, and now she was unsure. He had to help.

"Hinata-chan!" he yelled, reminding him greatly of Naruto. "He's wrong. You're wrong! No one's your strength! No one!"

Neji turned to look at him. Who's side was he on?

"Strength doesn't come in the form of a human being! I'm gonna sound really crappy right now and say that strength is comes from you, yourself!" he nearly cringed. Egad, he did sound crappy!

Hinata looked at him weakly. She didn't _want _to defeat him. If this were to the death, she'd rather die than commit murder…

_But, _she thought that's_ not what Naruto-kun would have wanted. He would have wanted me to give my best. He would have wanted me to fight with all I could…_

Slowly, unsteadily, she got to her feet, all the while glaring at Neji. Her pale eyes burned with silent fire.

Neji shook his head. "Always fighting a losing battle, aren't you," he smirked, "Hinata-_sama?_"

"Looks like we have something in common." She shot back.

Immediately, he flared up. Dashing forward, a yell ripped from his throat. This was it, and he was going to give it his all. Hinata was ready for him. Her arms were outstretched, chakra flickering up and down.

Strike after strike, each Hyuuga managed to block it. It was obvious that they were well matched. The hate that they now felt for each other was intense, their strikes becoming faster and faster, chakra practically bursting from their bodies.

Suddenly, Hinata's hand found his arm. Neji stopped short. At first, searing pain. Then, nothing.

He jumped back, holding his limp arm.

"We can stop this," Hinata hissed, "before it becomes completely out of control."

"I told you, didn't I?" Neji shot back. He leapt forward and drove his foot into her neck. She groaned as her back hit the floor. "I'm not fighting only for myself. I'm fighting for the whole branch family. We've been shunned for too long now."

Hinata sprung to her feet. She wasn't down yet.

Shikamaru watched with mixed feelings of pride and worry. She was actually giving it her all. For the first time, she looked ready to kill.

And he wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"I know you want to fight destiny, Neji," she said, blocking and dodging at the same time. She grasped his wrists, then turned him around so that his arms were trapped painfully behind him.

"I want to fight it too," she said softly, "we can fight it together."

"You will _never _be a good ninja if you keep thinking like that." He said. Hinata felt her arms starting to burn. She quickly let go before Neji's chakra could affect her.

Neji took out his kunai and flung them at her. She dodged them, but he kept them coming. She was so caught up in dodging that she didn't realize he was coming closer. She batted away the last kunai, then spun to face him, only to realize that he was mere inches away from her.

He raised his hand, then brought it swinging down, much like he was using a sword. Hinata jumped back, but it was too late. The chakra split her jacket apart. She felt the whole front of her body burn, and for a moment, she was paralyzed.

Neji took advantage of that, and quickly hit her straight in the heart.

Again.

She let out a shriek, before collapsing on the floor.

"You're to kind. Too dependent. Too emotional. Give up, Hinata. You're going to loose again, and you know it."

"Kurenai! Gai!" up in the stands, Asuma looked at the two, panic rising. "They are under your care. Your responsibility. Can't you stop this?"

"Of course I can restrain Hinata," Kurenai said softly.

"But Neji will prove the difficult one," Gai finished for her, "you saw what he did to the medic nins. And to Naruto."

"So, you're saying that a Chuunin will be too difficult for a Jounin to restrain?" Asuma said incredulously.

"He's not your ordinary Chuunin," Gai said, "you forget that he has a powerful defense technique, amazing sight, and almost unmatchable speed."

"Not to mention," Kurenai cut in, "his hate for Hinata will push him further than it ever has before."

She looked down at Hinata, struggling to her feet.

"This _is _to the death," she said, closing her eyes, "It won't stop unless one of them lies dead."

Hinata struggled to her feet. Neji shook his head. "I'm ending this. Now."

He dashed forward, his arms ablaze. The hate radiating from him was intense.

He was so close. He felt sure this was the deciding blow. She looked ready to faint, and she was so weak. He had closed a lot of her chakra pores, and she probably didn't have much left.

This was it.

"Shugguhake Rokujyuu Yonshou!"

Neji didn't realize what exactly was happening. Her arms had suddenly moved at incredible speed, the chakra emanating from them forming a dazzling orb around her.

He felt his entire body searing, breaking, and burning in a dozen places. All he could see was white light.

Everything died down. She stopped her hands, and he fell to the ground.

_I'm sorry, _she thought, tears coming to her eyes, _I'm so sorry._

"You…honestly think…that's enough to…stop me?"

Hinata's eyes snapped open. Neji was right in front of her. His whole body bleeding, he glared at her.

"46 strikes!"

She felt the numbing pressure on her whole body, then nothing. She fell to the ground, and tried not to scream as her whole body suddenly felt like it was on fire.

_I'm not going down, _she thought, pushing herself to get up, _not this easy._

_No matter what, _Neji thought, preparing himself for her attacks, _I'm not going to disappoint the branch family. Not ever again._

They resumed fighting, although it was obvious that they were tired. Defeated. Weary.

"Their still even," Sakura said, watching them, "this match may end with neither alive."

"You…" Shikamaru's voice caught in his throat, then he tried again, "you may be right."

Hinata jumped away and pressed her hands together. Three clones appeared behind her.

"That won't work on me." Neji said, glaring. Hinata simply shrugged. _True, _she thought, _but they can work as a distraction._

The three clones moved in for the kill. Neji merely glanced at them, then jumped in the air and started to turn.

Immediately, he became a swirling mass of chakra. The clones disappeared the moment they disappeared.

Hinata crept closer, feelings of panic and despair and pain welling up in her. She felt sickened, unable to believe that she was going to do this.

But she had no choice.

Neji slowed down, the chakra dying away. He dragged his foot against the floor to stop himself completely…

…and came face to face with Hinata.

It was inevitable. Both knew, in a split second, what the other was going to do. Hands raised, they had only one aim.

The heart.

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he saw the explosion of chakra from them. It was over. Whoever got hit wouldn't be able to stand it.

They were both too weak to have much stamina left.

The deciding blow.

_But to whom? _He thought, watching the smoke clear.

The crowd couldn't believe it.

Neji's hand had been stopped by Hinata's left hand. Face down, as though she didn't want to look, her other hand was against his chest, still burning with chakra.

Hinata lifted her head, her pale lavender eyes staring weakly into his, as he stared weakly into hers.

_Don't cry, _she told herself. The look in Neji's eyes frightened her. She had never seen him this…weak. He looked defeated, ready to give up, and it wasn't like him.

She could feel them welling up, and she willed them to stop. Nothing came out.

"I'm…sorry," she whispered, "so sorry. I never…wanted this…"

Neji said nothing. Then, a small smile crept on his face. It was over. He failed again, but it wasn't so bad.

"It's…alright," he said, his voice barely audible, "th-thank you, Hinata-sama."

Confusion showed in her eyes. "Why are you thanking me?"

"I…can see…Otosama…again."

His eyes slowly closed, the smile never leaving his face. He felt the sensation of falling backwards, then nothing.

Nothing at all.

A/N: Sorry for the outburst at the opening authors note. I'm not mad at any of my reviewers, just mad at my classmates. If you thought I was angry, I'm sorry.

It's just that…I really got tired of the people spreading stuff about me behind my back. It can really get annoying. And…I don't think I'm going to yell at them anymore. The past few days cooled me off a bit.

I'm really sorry to all Neji fans, go ahead and flame me. It's alright.

Thanks for reading. To my nee-san, once again, sorry for crying. I shouldn't have let Dad's comment get to me...


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: A certain reviewer pointed out a couple of things to me. Yeah, the Inuzuka will be out for blood. Yeah, Hinata could have easily used the caged bird seal, but she isn't _that _heartless. Take note that she said, "I, too, want to fight destiny!" or something like that, so he probably wouldn't do that.

And I just cannot kill Naruto, so don't worry. That loveable blonde is still alive.

And in case you were wondering what I did to my classmates…nothing. I didn't yell at them, scream at them, or whatever. I calmed down over the break.

On to the last chapter!

Chapter 9: Final Protection 

Sakura stared blankly at the scene, hardly daring to believe it. Neji was flat on the ground, Hinata was standing over him, fist bloody. There was something seriously wrong with this picture.

She turned to Shikamaru. He looked so grim. "I told you," he said softly, "she's stronger than we gave her credit for."

"I never…I didn't think…Hinata, she…"

She trailed off, unable to get her words right.

Kurenai looked at Neji's body, then at Gai. "He…he will get up," she said tentatively, "won't he?"

Gai nodded, although he didn't look so sure himself. "Of course. Hinata was able to survive that. Neji will as well."

Shikamaru heard all of this. _No, _he thought, slumping against the wall, his hands falling to his sides in a defeated sort of way, _he won't. _He knew better than they did.

He would never get up.

Everyone waited, their eyes on Neji. Seconds passed, then minutes. He never moved. It slowly hit them, one by one.

oOo

Slowly, Naruto opened his eyes. His midsection hurt like hell. Slowly, he pried the kunai from his gut, trying not to cry out.

He wondered why everything was silent. _Maybe the Chuunin exams are over, _he thought, trying to get up. _I wonder how Hinata…_

_Hinata!_

He looked up, hoping, praying that he wouldn't see a dead body of a girl in front of him.

There was a body all right, and for one second his heart nearly stopped beating. Then, he saw Hinata standing over it, her fist covered in blood, clothes torn, wounds all over.

He glanced at the body one more time. _It's…Neji? _He shook his head. There was something wrong here. Hinata would never kill…that wasn't like her. Neji was only unconscious. He had to be.

Sakura's instincts as a medic nin kicked in. Slowly, she made her way down the steps and into the stadium. She approached the two of them. Hinata seemed frozen, rooted to the spot.

She knelt down next to Neji and softly put her head to his chest, trying to listen for any sounds of life.

She could only hear the same emptiness she could feel in the air.

Emptiness.

He was gone.

Slowly, she stood up. All eyes were on her. She wanted to cave under the pressure. To scream at them: "Find out for yourselves if he's alive or not! Don't let me be the one to tell you! Don't force that responsibility on me…"

She sighed. She didn't have a choice.

She shook her head…

…and all hell broke loose.

TenTen broke into tears. Lee numbly gathered her into a hug. She sobbed into his shoulder. "No…please, please, no! No, no, no…". Whispers and mutters could be heard among the whispers and bystanders.

Angry yells erupted from the Hyuuga branch family. Only a few clan members had shown up, but rest assured the whole clan would know.

One branch member broke free from the crowd. He jumped into the stadium and ran over to Neji, pushing Hinata roughly aside.

He tenderly picked Neji up, and for one brief moment, all time seemed to stop. They saw the look on his face as he looked at Neji. It was so full of pain and sorrow, like his own son had died.

Then again, perhaps…that wasn't far fetched at all. Perhaps Neji had been like a son to all the branch members. Their pride after all…

After a few moments, he steeled himself, then turned and glared at Hinata.

"How dare you," he hissed, voice full of venom, "you killed him, you cold-blooded murderer. He was your own relative and you killed him."

"I didn't…" Hinata tried to explain, but her voice faltered.

And her words died.

"You'll pay for this," he warned, breathing hard, "you'll pay for this. KAMI, I SWEAR YOU'LL PAY!"

A hush fell over the stadium. This was open rebellion. This could completely destroy the Hyuuga clan. Yet, the one who held Neji didn't seem to care. He ran out of the compound, the other branch members following.

Hinata watched their retreating backs, rigid as waxwork. Naruto got to his feet, wincing slightly. He walked over.

"Hinata-chan…"

Her knees buckled, and she nearly toppled over. Naruto caught her and gently eased her into a sitting position.

"Hinata-chan," Naruto said softly.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, worry plainly etched on her face, her eyes shut tight, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

"Hinata-chan, calm down," he said tenderly, "It's over now. It's all over."

"I didn't mean to kill him…I swear, I never meant to…I didn't want this…please…I'm sorry…"

"It's alright, it's alright," he said, holding her tightly. His heart nearly broke just to her the pain in her voice. "It's done. Nothing left to worry about. It's over."

"Believe me. It's over."

oOo

"Unacceptable!" Hiashi screamed, his voice full of bitter fury.

"Please," Naruto said, trying not to back down. Hiashi was scary when he got angry. No wonder Hinata never felt comfortable around him, "you really can't blame Neji for this."

"He's right." TenTen said, finding her voice, "You know Neji's had issues with the clan ever since."

"I've been tolerant of his 'issues' for long enough!" Hiashi roared, causing TenTen and Sakura to jump and hide behind Shikamaru and Naruto "But to openly challenge my daughter is-! To forgive the branch family of this is unthinkable. Unacceptable! He was part of them. They will pay for his disobedience and rebellion."

"Would you stop for a moment and think that _that's _the attitude that got him so annoyed in the first place?" Shikamaru spoke up. "This is only my first time to go face-to-face with the Hyuuga members of the main house and the Elders, but I can already see why Neji could have gotten so pissed off. Your high-and-mighty attitude is enough to make me _gag_!"

"Way to go Shikamaru," Naruto whispered, watching Hiashi's face turn even paler than usual, "I bet he'll be after the Nara clan next."

"It's the truth," he whispered back.

"I don't tolerate insolence," he said, his voice a deadly whisper, "and rest assured, if you were in this clan…"

"Well, he's not!" Sakura stepped in, "but Neji was. And I bet you're just disappointed that you can't be the one to kill him since your daughter got to him first."

"We don't kill members _just _for rebellion!" one of the Elders spoke up. He, too, was getting annoyed with this insolent bunch of Chuunins.

"Funny," Naruto snapped, "you gave of the impression that you do!"

"What were trying to say," TenTen said quickly, "is that we'd like you to reconsider before you punish the branch family."

"Neji made a serious mistake," Naruto said, his voice softer, "and we know you're angry because he nearly killed the heiress to this clan, but you can't blame an entire part of the clan for something _one _member did. I bet they're angry as well, because Hinata killed him."

"What they think is not important," one Elder spoke up as well, getting to his feet, "we have always followed tradition when dealing with delinquents, and we will certainly not stop now. Especially on the plea of four insignificant Chuunins."

"What they think is _not _important!" Shikamaru echoed incredulously. "No wonder Neji had issues."

"Hyuuga-sama," Naruto said softly, "you promised your brother, didn't you?"

A hush immediately fell over the group. Hiashi looked at him, milky eyes wide.

"You promised you would take care of his son. Is this how you're going to repay his sacrifice? By failing to protect his son, and punishing the part of the clan in which he was a part of?"

He turned his back. Shikamaru, Sakura and TenTen turned their back as well. It was obvious that Naruto had hit a spot.

"Think about that," TenTen said softly, "when you're deciding the punishment of the branch."

"If you'll excuse me," Naruto said curtly, "I'd like to see if Hinata's alright."

oOo

"You're finally awake," Naruto's voice seemed so far away. "I was getting worried."

Finally, everything swam into focus. "N-Naruto-kun," she murmured. She looked around to find Shikamaru, TenTen, and Sakura looking at her with relieved smiles on their faces.

"Wh-what are you all doing here?"

"We wanted to see if you were feeling better," Shikamaru explained.

Hinata blushed and smiled. "Thanks. I do feel better, just sort of…drained."

"Well," Naruto said, relieved that she wasn't yelling at him, ignoring him or whatever, "maybe you ought to go down and talk to your father and the Elders."

"Why?"

"Well, the other reason we came here was to talk your father out of…punishing the branch family."

"What?" Hinata sat up bolt right. "He's going to _what!_"

She was out of bed and out the door in seconds, the others closely following her.

Everyone looked up as she slid the door open.

"Ah, Hinata," Hiashi, too, looked relieved, "you're awake."

"I-is it true," Hinata asked softly, looking directly at Hiashi, "you're going to punish the branch family because of what Neji did?"

Hiashi sighed as the Elders exchanged looks. "Hinata, you have to understand. Once a branch member shows open signs of rebellion or disobeys the desires of the main, they're to be punished. It's tradition."

"And you don't think _death _is a suitable enough punishment to the guilty?" Hinata said, her voice growing stronger and angrier, "you have to punish others as well?"

"Look, the branch members didn't stop Neji the moment he challenged you," Hiashi said, trying not to explode, "they should have, but the didn't. That's reason enough for us."

"They didn't want to take the risk!" Hinata nearly screamed. "Neji-nii-san threatened to kill anyone who came near. He killed 6 medic nins! He nearly killed Naruto-kun. He…he killed Kiba-kun! They knew he was serious, and they didn't want to wind up dead. They knew Neji-nii-san's abilities."

"That is hardly important!" Hiashi thundered, standing up. He didn't need his daughter's insolence right now. "What's important is that he openly challenged to heiress of this clan, and they failed to stop him!"

"At least I'm alive!" Hinata yelled, striding forward, "I'm alive and he's not! If you ask me, that's reason enough for _them _to punish _me_!"

"Don't say such things!" Hiashi strode forward so that father and daughter were only inches apart.

"Why not?" Hinata challenged. "I killed the clan member that meant the most to them. The only sign they had of hope, and I don't care how crappy that sounds. They have every right to be annoyed and angry at me. They have every right to kill me!"

"Well, I won't let them!" Hiashi yelled. Hinata opened her mouth, then stopped.

"Wh-what-?"

"You don't know," Hiashi said, his voice softer now, "how happy I was that he didn't kill you. You don't know how guilty I feel for having broken the promise I made with my brother. You don't know the remorse I feel every time I think of how much he cared for his son, he was willing to go along with that _stupid _plan, just to make sure his son would be safe."

The silence in the room was deafening, and Hinata felt like kicking herself. It was obvious that she didn't know her dad so well. She wanted to take back everything she said.

Suddenly, the door slammed open.

"Damn you!" An angry voice erupted from the doorway. "You main house people have shunned us for too long."

Hiashi, Hinata, and the Elders whipped around to face the doorway.

There, framed by the moonlight, was the same branch member who had picked Neji up. The same one who had screamed that she would pay for Neji's fate.

Behind him were at least a dozen other branch members, all looking furious as well. They followed suit as the one in front stormed inside. He glared at Hinata.

"You feel no guilt in taking his life, don't you!" he snapped. "you people from the main house are all the same."

"I won't have you talking to my daughter like that." Hiashi thundered, glaring at him.

He hardly seemed scared. "Or else what? You'll use the seal on me? Go ahead! See if I care. You main house people are all cowards! You didn't want to face us and risk dying, so you created this…this…" he reached up and yanked off his forehead protector, "this damnable seal! You wanted the easy way of dealing with us! You're all cowards!"

"SILENCE!" Hiashe roared, infuriated.

"No, you be silent, you piece of SHIT!" he screamed back, lunging forward. The other branch members caught hold of him and held him back.

"We've been silent our whole lives! It's time the branch family found its voice and spoke against the unfairness of it all! Just like she," he glared at Hinata, "was more dangerous than we gave her credit for, we are worth more than you think!"

"Please…" Hiashi said, trying to pacify him.

"No!" he screeched, his voice climbing to a more hysterical note. "Neji was the pride of the branch family! You just had to destroy him, didn't you!" he turned to Hinata. "You were scared to, weren't you? You were scared of the possibility that _he _would become heir of this clan!"

"N-no…" she said, her voice slightly panicked, "that's not…"

"It's always been that way. You knew he would be a better heir than you would be," he said, voice dripping with unwonted venom, "and so, you killed him! Face it. You've always wanted to kill him. You were jealous of him, because he was always _better than you_!"

"SHUT UP!" Hinata screeched, slamming her palm into his gut.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled, trying to reach her, "Hinata, calm down!"

The man fell to the floor, clutching his midsection.

"I never wanted to kill him!" she screamed, hitting him across the face, "Don't you think I feel guilty enough as it is! Kami, I never wanted to kill my own cousin!" she slammed her foot into his shoulder. "Listen up, you bastard. I don't care how much better he was at techniques! He was my cousin, and I loved him. I was jealous, yes, but not enough to make me kill him!"

"Hinata!" Naruto and Shikamaru got to her at the same time. They grabbed hold of her arms. "Hinata, stop this! You're not…"

They trailed off as they saw the tears run down her face. "I…didn't want…to kill him," she whispered, "I'd…rather…it had been…me."

"Hinata," Naruto said softly, "don't say things like that."

"He's right," Shikamaru said, "please don't."

All was silent. The atmosphere was so heavy. Empty. Slowly, Naruto and Shikamaru let go of her.

"Share his fate." A voice said.

They looked up to see the same man charging toward her, arm aglow with blue chakra. His eyes seemed wild, ready to kill.

He drew back his arm, and lunged, ready to do the killing blow.

Naruto felt sick to his stomach as he watched the crimson mist spray everywhere, splattering everything.

Hinata's eyes were wide as she heard the connecting thump. Everything seemed frozen. There was a soft thud, then silence.

Total and complete silence.

A/N: Okay! It's done! It's over!

Just joking. Still one more chapter to go. Sorry if this chapter was too much like an edo-period drama.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: To my good friends, gokiburi-gojyo and boredGOTH, thanks for worrying about me, but believe me, I'm fine. I promised my nee-san I wouldn't cry, and I intend to keep that promise.

To death-angel-hikari, I know you told me it's fine, but when I looked back at the girl I was before, crying over every little thing, I was…disgusted.

I want to be strong like you are, able to stand up and smile in the face of troubles. You did it in grade six, and I want to do it, too. I don't care what they say behind my back. One day, I'll be able to keep my tears inside.

…uh, sorry, guys. Onto the last chapter!

Oh, yeah! One reviewer said that she had a feeling that it was Shikamaru or Hiashi that got hit. Nice guess.

Song: "Forgive Me", by Evanescence

**Chapter 10: From Now On**

Hinata fell to her knees, eyes wide in shock.

"O-oto-sama," she murmured, watching the blood on his chest pool. "Why?"

"I-I made…a promise…didn't I?" he said weakly, pale eyes penetrating hers. "A-and I intend…to keep it." He grasped her hands in his as several tears slid down his pale cheeks. She half expected him to say, "Be strong," but he didn't.

She wanted to yell at him. To scream at him. Remind him that if she could survive that attack, then surely he could as well.

But she said nothing, did nothing, as his pale eyes closed forever.

Hinata squeezed her eyes shut, blocking the tears that threatened to fall. Several minutes passed. Slowly, she opened her eyes, relieved to see that nothing escaped. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Elders standing up and going behind the murderer.

"Hinata-sama, you know what you have to do." One of them said, grasping the arm of the murderer. He didn't object. He didn't speak out at all. "You know what this calls for."

"Yes," Hinata said softly, "Yes, I do."

Her hands glowed, and she turned to face him. His pale eyes looked into hers, and she could see it. Guilt. Pain.

_You regret it, _she thought, searching his eyes, _don't you?_

_You have nothing to regret. It's not your fault._

She held up her hand, then lunged forward, aiming for one thing only.

In a flash of blue light, his forehead protector fell to the floor in pieces.

He stared at her, eyes wide.

She glanced at the caged bird seal, then looked straight at the elders.

"This," she hissed, "this _damnable _seal is the thing that started it all. It's the very reason the main and branch families are constantly in unspoken war. And I intend to fix this."

"Wh-what?" One Elder said, hardly daring to believe his ears. "How?"

"Starting today, all caged-bird seals will be nullified." She said sternly.

Stunned silence met this proclamation. Everyone was staring at her, eyes wide, mouths agape.

"Wh-what?" An Elders voice broke the heavy silence.

"You heard me," she said softly, "starting today. The seals will be nullified. On _every _branch member."

"This is an outrage!" He roared, apparently regaining his courage and stepping forward. "Hinata-san, be reasonable. This is such a drastic change. I'm not sure everyone will approve."

"Of course, your word will be final," Hinata said, inclining her head. "I will, of course, respect your decision. But I do hope you'll think it over."

"Why?" the branch member finally choked out, "Why are you doing this?"

"This is what Neji-nii-san would have wanted," she said softly, "and in doing this…I hope to…honor his memory."

She turned away and made her way out the door.

"Hinata!" The Elders' voice rang out.

She paused in the doorway, the soft, white moonlight casting her face in shadows.

"You've changed." He said softly.

"Yes," she said, "Yes. I have."

oOo

The wind gently nudged the water, causing it to lap on the shore. Hinata sighed as the breeze ruffled her bangs. It was quarter moon, and pretty dark. But it suited her just fine.

Strangely enough, she didn't feel sad or angry or whatever. She didn't feel anything. She was just…there. Like she was so drained, she didn't have the strength left to feel.

"I thought I'd find you here," a soft voice said.

Hinata didn't even stir. She already knew who it was.

"Listen, I know it would be stupid to ask if you're alright," he said softly, "so I'm going to skip that part."

"Right." She said tonelessly. She didn't care anymore.

"Neji would have appreciated what you did," he said.

She nodded. She already knew that, but somehow, it was more believable when someone else said it.

"It's okay," Naruto said softly.

"What is?" she asked, completely nonplussed. For her, nothing was okay anymore. Everything was wrong. Completely, totally wrong. And the worst part was, she didn't care anymore.

"Despite what you promised," Naruto said, tenderly caressing her cheeks, causing her to look up, startled, "despite what you said, it's okay to cry."

Her pale eyes looked at his, wide in shock. How could he have known? She had been trying to keep it in. Trying to hide it…

His eyes looked into hers, and she slowly lost herself in them. It was too much already.

All the pain, regret, uncertainty, fear…it all came pouring out in steady, slow streams that ran down her pale cheeks.

"It…just…hurts," she gasped out in between sobs, "I've tried…to ignore it…tried…to make it…g-go away, but…b-but it…"

"Shh," he said, gently pressing his finger to her lips, "have your tears. It's okay."

He enveloped her in his arms, and she, in turn, collapsed against him, sobbing openly. Feelings of relief flooded her. It was wonderful, really. To finally shrug off her worries, to lean on someone instead of standing on her own…

Naruto stroked her hair, listening to the rhythmical beat of her dying sobs. She shivered slightly, and he hugged her frail figure tighter. He felt her soft arms wrap around him. Finally, she calmed down. All was quiet.

Yet…they never let go.

oOo

Hinata sighed as she placed the white rose on her father's coffin. His face looked oddly peaceful. Like…like he was smiling or something.

Hanabi walked up and placed another rose next to the other one. Both of the bowed their head at the same time, then walked away.

Hinata sneaked a glance at her sister. Hanabi's face held no emotion. She was so much like Neji.

Then, slowly, she saw it. Small pools of water built up in her eyes, then softly spilled down her cheeks.

She smiled and patted her sisters back. 'It's okay,' wasn't what she needed to be told right now.

Hinata made her way to the other coffin, and looked down. Almost all his life, Neji kept his face completely emotionless and mask-like. Even in death, it didn't change. She bowed her head.

_Gomenasai, Neji-nii-san, _she thought, _I hope…I hope you're happy with the changes in the clan._ She turned and looked at the whole Hyuuga clan. She smiled. You could no longer tell who was in which family. They no longer had anything to hide.

She turned back, the smile never leaving her face. _I know I am._

"Wait!" she said, abruptly remembering something. She could feel all eyes on her.

Slowly, she opened the casket and reached down. She took off his forehead protector to reveal the caged bird seal.

Gently, tenderly, she placed her hand on his forehead. Praying that it would work, she waited several seconds, then took away her hand to reveal his now clean forehead.

Completely unmarked.

"A caged bird no more," she said in satisfaction. She placed the forehead protector in his hand, leaned down, and softly kissed his forehead. Then, she closed the lid and turned away.

"I'll keep fighting, Neji-nii-san," she said under her breath, "I swear I will."

She left the funeral procession. She didn't want to watch her father and cousin be buried. She just didn't want to.

Unconsciously, her feet took her to _that _place. The place that started everything. Perhaps, she could see the sunrise. Why Hyuuga's held their funerals before sunrise…

Finally, she pushed aside a few vines and stepped into the haven. She nearly turned back and left when she saw Naruto's huddled figure near a large rock.

She hadn't forgotten, of course, what he had done for her last night. After yelling at him, ignoring him, he had still come to her aid.

She took a deep breath, then made her way to him and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

He looked up and drew in a rattled breath. It was obvious he hadn't been expecting her.

"Hinata-chan," he said, cerulean eyes wide, "what…what are you…I mean…you're…" he trailed off, embarrassed.

Hinata sat down next to him, hugging her knees. "I…just came from the funeral procession."

"Oh," Naruto said, "I…I see."

A few seconds of silence, then…

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said softly, "it wasn't your fault they died."

"No," Naruto said, voice louder, "I mean…I meant…"

Hinata turned to him. "What?"

"I mean, I'm really sorry. I was stupid, you know." He said, voice growing softer and softer, "I was blind to the fact that my actions caused you a lot of pain."

_Can you forgive me again?_

_I don't know what I said,_

_But I didn't mean to hurt you._

"I mean…I wasn't thinking when I told that lie. All that registered in my mind was that it would probably keep you away from…from him." He let out a deep sigh. "I was so selfish. I…I realize that now."

_I heard the words come out_

_I felt that I would die_

_It hurts so much to hurt you_

Hinata looked at him, seeing him in a whole new light. There was so much more to him than she realized. And…and she shouldn't have been so hard on him.

_Than you looked at me_

_You're not shouting anymore_

He had been hurt enough when he saw the two of them together. She could see it now.

_You're silently broken_

He looked at her, and Hinata nearly cried out to see the tears falling down his face. "The moment I said it, I wanted to take it back. I saw the pain in your eyes, and I wanted to take it all back."

_I'd give anything to kill those words for you_

_Each time I say something I regret, I cry_

"Despite what you may think, Hinata-chan," he said, his voice cracking, like he was trying to control something, "I…I don't want to hurt you!"

_I don't want to lose you_

He felt silent, his shoulders shaking. Hinata's heart nearly broke at the sight of him. She had never seen him this…weak. This…pitiful.

She wanted to return the favor. Like last night, he had been there for her. He had removed the pain, wiped her tears, comforted her.

She had to be there for him.

She loved him.

_But somehow I know that you will never _

_Leave me_

She placed her hand on his shoulder and, with the other, gently caressed his cheek.

Naruto looked up to see her smiling lovingly.

'_Coz you were made for me_

_Somehow I'll make you see_

_How happy you make me_

"Thank you," she said softly, "for…for everything."

"H-Hinata-chan…"

"I never gave up on you. Not really. All the time I spent with Shikamaru-kun, I…I secretly wished that I could spend it with you. And…he helped me realize something."

_I can't live this life_

_Without you by my side_

"All the time you've saved me, helped me, encouraged me…they were your way of telling me the truth. Telling me how you really felt."

_I need you to survive_

"And I was just so…so blind, I couldn't realize that on my own."

Naruto reached up and removed her hand from his cheek. The tears slowed, relief shining in his eyes.

_So stay with me_

"So…you forgive me?" he asked softly, his cerulean gaze meeting hers, begging, pleading…

_You look in my eyes_

_And I'm screaming inside_

_That I'm sorry_

She smiled, her eyes kind. Understanding.

"There's nothing to forgive."

_And you forgive me again_

_You're my one true friend_

_And I didn't mean to hurt you_

Naruto leaned closer. No more masks. No more fear. No more hiding. Their lips met the exact moment the first rays of a new day touched the pale blue horizon.

Despite the fact that two people in her life were gone, there was another one to comfort her.

The one she needed to make her life complete. The one who would make everything okay.

From now on.

_**Prologue:**_

Sasuke watched, amused, as Naruto wore a path on the thick rug, pacing in constant circles.

"Would you calm down?" he said, sniggering. "You look like a man who shoulders the fate of mankind."

"Calm down?" Naruto asked, glaring at him, "That's a laugh. Especially coming from a man who nearly strangled yours truly when _his _wife was in labor, then nearly deafened me when he found his firstborn was a boy."

"All that aside," Sasuke said, "I still think you ought to relax and-"

"Naruto-kun!" Sakura said, rushing to him, "It's a boy! It's a boy!"

Naruto pushed her aside and ran to the room, hardly daring to believe it. It seemed like just yesterday…

He stopped at the side of the bed. Hinata looked at him happily, cradling a bundle of blankets.

"Hinata-" his voice caught in his throat. Coming from that bundle were soft, frail sobs.

She smiled at him, words never escaping her lips. Words were not adequate to describe her feelings. A serene, happy smile lit her face, her long, purplish-black hair framing her face.

"He looks like his dad," Sakura said, coming up behind him.

Hinata nodded, handing him the bundle of blankets. With trembling hands, he carefully unwrapped it. The blankets fell away to reveal a small, trembling figure with wispy blonde hair, whimpering and flailing slightly.

Naruto gently stroked his head, trying to pacify him.

The baby slowly opened his eyes, revealing them to bright cerulean. His eyes stared into his dad's, and then, with a huge yawn, he snuggled deeper into the blankets and closed his eyes.

Mutely, Naruto handed him back to Hinata. He sat beside her, a smile lightning his face.

"He's wonderful." He whispered. Hinata simply nodded, her eyes slowly closing as well.

Naruto looked at his family, bathed in the soft glow of the coming morn. Somehow, someway, he was sure everything was going to be all right.

From now on.

-END-

A/N: So? So? Whatcha think? They went through a couple of struggles, but at least, in the end, they conquered it.

Unless…you guys who AREN'T satisfied with happy endings want me to make a sad sequel to this. 'Coz I have the plot already outlined, and I could type it on your say so…

On another note, look out for my upcoming "Gaara…Forever Incomplete (?)". It might fit your tastes, it might not. Oh, and could you guys check my "POINTLESS WAR" story? Thanks!


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